The fixtures for the COSAFA Men’s Under-17 and Under-20 competitions that will be staged in Nelson Mandela Bay in the coming weeks are out with teams in both competitions seeking to earn their place in the continental finals next year.
The tournaments will act as zonal qualifiers for the 2021 CAF Under-17 and Under-20 Cup of Nations, adding extra spice to what are already highly-competitive showpiece events.
The COSAFA Under-17 competition will get under way on November 19 with a Group A clash between Zimbabwe and Angola, a fitting opener between two giants of the region.
That will be followed later in the day by a meeting between hosts South Africa and Eswatini which both will view as a must-win in what is likely to be a hotly-contested pool.
The following day sees the opening games in Group B as Malawi take on Botswana and defending champions Zambia meet Comoros.
The top two teams in each pool will advance to the semifinals on November 27, where the leading side in Group A will take on the runner-up in Group B, and vice-versa.
The final will be played on November 29, where both sides will have already booked their place in the CAF Under-17 Cup of Nations.
The COSAFA Men’s Under-20 Championship will follow shortly afterwards on December 3, where 11 teams are competing in a three-group format.
The opening matches in Group A see Mozambique take on Lesotho, while later in the day there is a crunch clash between hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe to whet the appetite.
The focus moves on to Group B the following day as Malawi play Comoros and Zambia tackle Namibia, while a third match in Group C has Angola meeting Eswatini.
Botswana will be the last team to enter the competition when they play Angola in Group C on December 6.
The three pool winners as well as the best-placed runner-up will advance to the semifinals, where the victors in Groups A and C clash, while the winner of Group B meets the best second-paced team.
The final will be played on December 13, bringing a close to what will have been a hectic few months for COSAFA with the on-going COSAFA Women’s Senior and Under-17 Championships also providing fans with plenty of action.
To view the COSAFA Men’s Under-17 fixtures, click here.
To view the COSAFA Men’s Under-20 fixtures, click here.